Intimate Partner Violence Among International and Interprovincial Migrants: A Population-Based Analysis of Canadian Linked Immigration and Justice Data

Factors associated with IPV among immigrant women are not well understood. Using linked immigration and justice data, we compared the incidence of justice-identified IPV (JIIPV) among 58,564 international immigrant women born outside of Canada, 30,098 women born in other Canadian provinces (i.e., interprovincial migrants), and 88,662 long-term Manitoban resident women. International immigrant women had the lowest incidence of JIIPV compared to matched long-term Manitobans (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.49, 95% CI: 0.43-0.56) and interprovincial migrants (aHR 0.56, 95% CI: 0.43-0.73). Among immigrants, JIIPV varied substantially according to birthplace, increased with length of residence, and was less frequent among secondary immigrants.

Family Violence, Personality Traits, and Risk Behaviors: Links to Dating Violence Victimization and Perpetration Among College Students

Though dating violence (DV) is prevalent on college campuses, few studies have examined a multitude of risk factors that may better explain this process. As such, we examined the role of family violence (i.e., childhood physical abuse, witnessing parental violence), personality traits (i.e., entitlement, antisocial personality [ASP] and borderline personality [BP]) and risk behaviors (i.e., risky sexual behaviors, heavy drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use) on DV victimization and perpetration among 783 college students. Path analysis revealed that witnessing parental violence was linked to DV perpetration while experiencing more physical abuse was positively correlated with entitlement (females only), ASP traits, and BP traits. ASP traits (both males and females) and entitlement (females only) were directly associated with high-risk behaviors. Among females, entitlement was also indirectly associated with DV victimization and perpetration through sexual risk behaviors. Findings highlight the importance of histories of physical abuse and personality traits in understanding DV.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Persons With Mental Health-Related Disabilities in Canada

This study examined the elevated risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) among persons with mental health-related disabilities (MH-RD) and the extent to which known risk factors accounted for this phenomenon. Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of 33,127 Canadians collected in 2014 as part of Statistics Canada's General Social Survey. Results showed that respondents with MH-RD had more than three-fold increased odds of both overall and severe IPV victimization. Although females were more likely to possess a MH-RD, males and females with MH-RD reported similarly elevated odds of IPV victimization. Risk factors that contributed to a significant reduction in elevated odds of IPV for respondents with MH-RD were child maltreatment (CM), respondents' nonprescription drug abuse, and perpetrators' jealous, monitoring, and socially isolating behaviors. The inability to test additional risk factors and bidirectionality in the relationship between MH-RD and IPV may have contributed to the failure to fully account for these respondents' elevated odds of IPV. Future research is needed to understand the complex mechanisms contributing to the elevated risk of IPV and enhance prevention and intervention strategies for this underresearched and underserved vulnerable population.

Intentional injury and violent death after intimate partner violence. A retrospective matched-cohort study

The incidence of intimate partner violence (IPV) varies according to IPV definitions and data collection approaches. The criminal Justice system assesses IPV through a review of the evidence gathered by the police and the court hearings. We aimed to determine the association between IPV, as identified in criminal Justice disposition records, and subsequent healthcare-identified intentional injury inflicted by others, including violent death. We conducted a retrospective population-based matched-cohort study using linked multisectoral databases. Female adult Manitoba residents identified as victims of IPV in provincial prosecution and disposition records 2004 to 2016 (n = 20,469) were matched to three non-victims (n = 61,407) of similar age, relationship status and place of residence at the date of the IPV incident. Outcomes were first healthcare use for intentional injury and violent death, assessed in Emergency Department visits, hospitalizations and Vital Statistics deaths records. Conditional Cox Regression was used to obtain Hazard Ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The risk of intentional injury was 8.5 per 1000 women among non-victims of IPV and 55.8 per 1000 women among IPV victims. The Hazard Ratios associated with IPV were 3.8 (95% CI: 3.4, 4.3) for intentional injury and 4.6 (95% CI: 2.3, 9.2) for violent death, after adjustment. IPV victims experienced half the risk of subsequent intentional injury if the accused received a probation sentence. Our findings suggest that Justice involvement represents an opportunity for intersectoral collaborative prevention of subsequent intentional injury among IPV victims.

Understanding the Elevated Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Interracial Relationships

Research from the United States and Canada suggest that interracial relationships tend to have an elevated prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Among seven extant studies, only one empirically examined speculations in the literature for this relationship. Based on analyses of data from Statistics Canada's 2009 General Social Survey (GSS), Brownridge was not able to fully account for the elevated odds of IPV in interracial relationships. The current study used data on 16,706 Canadians (731 in interracial relationships and 15,975 in noninterracial relationships) from the 2014 iteration of Statistics Canada's GSS to determine whether the risk of IPV in interracial relationships had changed since 2009 and to explore risk factors that may account for the elevated odds of IPV in interracial relationships. Results showed that individuals in interracial relationships faced elevated odds of IPV victimization relative to monoracial relationships in the 5-year reporting period prior to the study (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.40, 4.02]; p < .001). This was similar to what Brownridge found in the 2009 GSS data, indicating that the elevated risk of IPV in interracial relationships had remained stable in Canada over a 10-year reporting period. Risk factors from three levels of an ecological model were explored, and logistic multiple regression analyses showed that characteristics of the partner (young age, drug use, and jealous behavior) fully accounted for the significantly elevated odds of IPV victimization in interracial unions. Although the leading speculation for this relationship implicates stressors that are unique to these relationships, the current study suggested that this phenomenon is mostly due to characteristics of individuals with whom those in interracial relationships are more likely to be coupled.

Screening for intimate partner violence in the early postpartum period: Maternal and child health and social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery

BACKGROUND

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a substantial public health concern, yet little is known about the developmental trajectory of these women and their children after birth.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to examine maternal and child health as well as social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery associated with a positive (vs. negative) maternal IPV screen around the time of delivery.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Manitoban women giving birth to a live singleton infant from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 were followed from birth to 5-years post-delivery (analytic sample: N = 40,051).

METHODS

Administrative databases from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy provided data for the study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between IPV screen response around the time of birth (i.e., current, or history of, violence between parenting partners) with maternal and child health as well as social outcomes.

RESULTS

Women screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed mood/anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, diabetes, respiratory morbidity, and intentional/non-intentional injury hospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range 1.81-5.59, p < .01). Children of women screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, lower respiratory infections, and injury hospitalizations (AOR range 1.53-2.00, p < .01), child welfare organization contact (AOR = 8.84, p <  .01), and of being more developmentally vulnerable at kindergarten across domains of functioning (AOR range 1.69-1.93, p <  .01) than children of mothers screening negative for IPV.

CONCLUSION

A positive IPV screen was associated with poorer maternal and child health, increased child and family services contact, and children being more developmentally vulnerable in the 5-years after delivery.

Screening for partner violence in the early postpartum period: are we missing families most at risk of experiencing violence?

OBJECTIVES

In Manitoba, government policy is for public health nurses to screen families with newborns within 1-week post-discharge for risk factors associated with poor child developmental health. The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of families who are screened for intimate partner violence (IPV) with families without a documented response to an IPV screen item. This information can be used to help identify and target families in need of support whose needs are not being met within the current system.

METHODS

Manitoban women giving birth to a live singleton in the province from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 were included in the analyses (N = 52,710). Data were part of a larger research study following these families for several years to examine longer-term developmental outcomes. Administrative databases from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy provided data for the study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between IPV screen status and socio-demographic covariates and birth outcomes.

RESULTS

In the study population, 66.7% of the sample were screened for IPV. Women less than 20 years of age, not in married or common-law unions, and living in lower income areas were less likely to have a documented response to the IPV screen item. A low number of prenatal care visits, prenatal mental health problems, and prenatal substance use, as well as premature and low birthweight delivery, were associated with a decreased likelihood of having a documented response to the IPV screen item.

CONCLUSION

Incorporating violence screening into routine prenatal and postnatal care, rather than only screening women after birth, may help to better identify families with unmet needs and ensure more timely referrals to positive strengths-based supports and services.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and mental disorders: Results from a nationally representative adult sample from the United States

Child maltreatment is a public health concern with well-established sequelae. However, compared to research on physical and sexual abuse, far less is known about the long-term impact of emotional maltreatment on mental health. The overall purpose of this study was to examine the association of emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and both emotional abuse and neglect with other types of child maltreatment, a family history of dysfunction, and lifetime diagnoses of several Axis I and Axis II mental disorders. Data were from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected in 2004 and 2005 (n=34,653). The most prevalent form of emotional maltreatment was emotional neglect only (6.2%), followed by emotional abuse only (4.8%), and then both emotional abuse and neglect (3.1%). All categories of emotional maltreatment were strongly related to other forms of child maltreatment (odds ratios [ORs] ranged from 2.1 to 68.0) and a history of family dysfunction (ORs ranged from 2.2 to 8.3). In models adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, all categories of emotional maltreatment were associated with increased odds of almost every mental disorder assessed in this study (adjusted ORs ranged from 1.2 to 7.4). Many relationships remained significant independent of experiencing other forms of child maltreatment and a family history of dysfunction (adjusted ORs ranged from 1.2 to 3.0). The effects appeared to be greater for active (i.e., emotional abuse) relative to passive (i.e., emotional neglect) forms of emotional maltreatment. Childhood emotional maltreatment, particularly emotionally abusive acts, is associated with increased odds of lifetime diagnoses of several Axis I and Axis II mental disorders.

Understanding Women’s Heightened Risk of Violence in Common-Law Unions

Cohabiting women’s heightened risk of violence is a well-established relationship but one that is not fully understood. Using a recently collected representative sample of 7,396 Canadian women, the results of the present study show that the cohabitation-violence relationship persists. However, over a 6-year period, the prevalence of violence against women in cohabiting unions declined dramatically relative to marital unions. The results of the analyses suggest that the increasing prevalence of cohabitation has reduced the selection bias, in turn causing cohabitors’ and “marrieds”’ relationships to become increasingly similar. Nevertheless, the results also suggest that cohabitors remain a select group, and this differential selection is responsible for the persistence of their higher likelihood of violence. Overall, the results suggest that cohabitation will need to become much more prevalent before parity in rates of violence will be achieved between cohabitors and marrieds in Canada.

Cultural Variation in Male Partner Violence Against Women

This study investigates the question of whether Québec possesses a different culture of male partner violence against women than the rest of Canada. It is hypothesized that Québec will have a lower prevalence of violence than the rest of Canada and that men in Québec who hold patriarchal attitudes will be more likely to be violent than those who do not. Using a large-scale representative sample of Canadian women, tests provide support for both hypotheses. The key to understanding the difference in prevalence between the two cultural groups is patriarchal domination, and the common thread for interpretation of many cultural differences in risk markers is patriarchy.

Theorizing low levels of reporting of abuse of older immigrant women

Little research can be found describing abuse of older immigrant women, despite an increase in our aging population and increasing research on abuse of older adults. This article examines factors that may contribute to low levels of reporting of abuse of older immigrant women. The authors present empirical qualitative data collected through interviews and focus groups, which examined how people living in the community understand and define abuse of older adults. Four main themes will be discussed: first, the individual in a family and cultural community context; second, English as a foreign or second language as part of the mainstream; third, the question of "naming" abuse; and finally, age as a discriminator. Preliminary frameworks to better understand these findings are introduced. Recommendations for future research and programming are presented.

Associating child sexual abuse with child victimization in China

OBJECTIVES

To provide a comprehensive profile of the prevalence of child sexual abuse as well as other forms of child victimization in China and to examine the associations between child sexual abuse, demographic factors, and other forms of child victimization.

STUDY DESIGN

Using a 2-staged stratified sampling procedure, we recruited a total of 18,341 students in grades 9-12 (girls 46.7%, mean age 15.86 years) from 150 randomly sampled schools during November 2009 through July 2010 in 6 Chinese cities. We assessed the students' demographic background and their experience of child sexual abuse and other forms of victimization. The independent effect on child sexual abuse of each demographic factor and form of child victimization was examined after controlling for other variables.

RESULTS

The overall lifetime and preceding-year prevalence of child sexual abuse was 8.0% and 6.4%, respectively. Boys were more likely to report child sexual abuse than were girls. Apart from having experienced other forms of child victimization, several characteristics were associated with greater risk of child sexual abuse: being a boy; being older; having sibling(s); having divorced, separated, or widowed parents; or having an unemployed father.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides reliable estimates of child victimization to facilitate resource allocation in health care settings in China. The strong associations between child sexual abuse and other forms of child victimization warrant screening for additional forms of child victimization once any one of them has been identified.

Violence against pregnant women can increase the risk of child abuse: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women on subsequent perpetration of child abuse and neglect (CAN) by parents; and to test the mediation effect of recent IPV on the link between IPV during pregnancy and subsequent CAN.

METHODS

This study was a longitudinal follow-up of a population-based study on pregnancy IPV conducted in antenatal clinics in 7 public hospitals in Hong Kong in 2005. Of all participants in the 2005 study, we recruited 487 women (with 184 having reported pregnancy IPV in the 2005 study) with newborn babies for a follow-up telephone interview in 2008. Participants responded to the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS), the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, and some questions assessing demographic information.

RESULTS

The most common form of physical violence was corporal punishment, with a prevalence rate of 75.1% in the preceding year and 75.4% over their lifetime. Physical maltreatment was less likely to be reported, accounting for 4.7% in the preceding year and 4.9% over their lifetime. The preceding-year and lifetime prevalence rates of neglect were 11.3% and 11.5%, respectively. Findings from logistic regression analyses showed that IPV experienced by participants during pregnancy was associated with greater odds of both lifetime (aOR=1.74) and preceding-year child physical maltreatment (aOR=1.78). Results of the regression analyses also provided supportive evidence for the mediation effect of recent IPV victimization on the relationship between IPV during pregnancy and recent CAN against children.

CONCLUSION

IPV against women during pregnancy predicted subsequent CAN on newborns in Chinese populations. This underscores the importance of screening pregnant women for IPV in order to prevent CAN at an early stage. Home visitations are suggested to break the cycle of violence within a nuclear family.

Pregnancy and Intimate Partner Violence: Risk Factors, Severity, and Health Effects

The current study compares female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) who were and were not victimized during pregnancy. Victims of pregnancy violence are more likely to report having experienced all forms of violence, particularly severe forms, and have higher odds of experiencing several postviolence indicators of severity and adverse health consequences. The significance of predictors disappears in a post hoc analysis controlling for proxies of battering behavior (i.e., repeated and severe violence), suggesting that victims who experience violence during pregnancy may be more likely to be in a current intimate relationship with an abuser who inflicts repeated and severe IPV.

Childhood sexual abuse associated with dating partner violence and suicidal ideation in a representative household sample in Hong Kong

This study investigated the prevalence and impact of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on future intimate partner violence (IPV) in dating relationship in Hong Kong, China. A total of 1,154 Chinese adult respondents engaged in dating relationships were interviewed face-to-face about their CSA histories, childhood witnessing of parental violence, adult sexual victimization (ASV) by others and IPV victimization with their current dating partner. Self-reports also measured levels of suicidal ideation, self-esteem, and demographic details. Overall, 1.7% reported some form of CSA with a higher percentage being women. No gender differences were found in the prevalence of either ASV or IPV. Results showed that CSA had an independent effect on physical IPV and suicidal ideation. The odds of IPV were increased by behavioral and psychological factors of victims such as alcohol and drug abuse, sex with partner, and low self-esteem. The odds of suicidal ideation were also increased by drug abuse, childhood witnessing of parental psychological aggression, and low self-esteem. Clinical implications of results included screening for CSA victims and suicidal victims when treating IPV patients, tailoring treatment according to individual IPV victim's problems, correcting behaviors that are associated with risks of IPV, such as engagement in casual sex and substance abuse, and focusing not only on tangible services but also on the social and psychological aspects that are placing the victims at risk for IPV.

Associating pregnancy with partner violence against Chinese women

The present study discusses if pregnancy is a risk factor for intimate partner violence using a large, representative sample containing detailed information on partner violence including physical and sexual abuse as well as perpetrator-related risk factors. Data from a representative sample of 2,225 men were analyzed. The self-reported prevalence of men's violence against their female partners was computed and compared in terms of demographic, behavioral, and relationship characteristics. The preceding-year prevalence of physical assault, sexual violence, and "any violence or injury" among the group whose partners were pregnant was 11.9%, 9.1%, and 18.8%, respectively. This is significantly higher than the nonpregnant group. Pregnancy was significantly associated with increased odds of violence, including physical assault, sexual violence, and "any violence or injury" (ORs = 2.42, 2.42, and 2.60, respectively). Having controlled for relationship characteristics including social desirability, social support, in-law conflict, dominance, and jealousy of male perpetrators, pregnancy was significantly associated with "any violence or injury." Demographic and behavioral variables accounted for pregnant women's significantly higher odds of having been abused in the year preceding the data collection. This study provides preliminary findings on the association between pregnancy and partner violence. Our findings underscore the need to screen for violence among pregnant women in clinical health care settings as well as in communities. Perpetrator-related risk factors should be included in the assessment of risk for partner violence against pregnant women. For the prevention of intimate partner violence, family-based intervention is needed to work with victims as well as perpetrators.

The effect of poor parenting on male and female dating violence perpetration and victimization

This study examines the effects of poor parenting on dating violence perpetration and victimization among approximately 900 males and females from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Results revealed that more physical abuse and low parental warmth were linked to greater substance use and higher rates of delinquency. In addition, low parental warmth, more neglect, and greater delinquency had positive direct effects on dating violence perpetration, whereas more physical abuse, low parental warmth, and increased delinquency were all positively associated with dating violence victimization. Finally, delinquency mediated the link between low parental warmth and dating violence perpetration and victimization. The results provide some support for both social learning theory and an antisocial orientation perspective.

Intimate Partner Violence Against Aboriginal Men in Canada

Using a large-scale representative sample of Canada collected in 1999, this study examined Aboriginal men's elevated risk for violent victimisation relative to non-Aboriginal men. Aboriginal men reported about 2.5 to 3.5 times the risk of intimate partner violence victimisation compared to non-Aboriginal men. Aboriginal men's elevated risk of violence was greatest on some of the most severe forms of violence and appeared to be due to their relatively higher levels of unemployment and relatively younger average age. While future research is needed to disentangle the complex interplay of colonisation and risk factors for understanding Aboriginal peoples' elevated risk of intimate partner violence victimisation, the current study demonstrates that gender is also worthy of consideration.

Does the situational couple violence- intimate terrorism typology explain cohabitors' high risk of intimate partner violence?

This study examines M. P. Johnson's assertion that violence in marital unions is more likely to be intimate terrorism (IT) and violence in cohabiting unions is more likely to be situational couple violence (SCV). Having overcome limitations of the data on which Johnson based his assertion, the results show that cohabiting and married victims of violence are equally likely to report experiencing SCV and IT. Moreover, cohabitors have higher odds of experiencing SCV and IT compared to their counterparts living in a marital union. These marital status differences are explained by selection and relationship factors theorized to account for them. Although the SCV- IT typology does appear to shed light on gender differences, the results of this study suggest that, where relevant, researchers using this typology should not neglect risk factors derived from theories for understanding intimate partner violence (IPV).

Correlates of in-law conflict and intimate partner violence against Chinese pregnant women in Hong Kong

This study examines correlates of in-law conflict with intimate partner violence (IPV) against pregnant women in a cohort of Chinese pregnant women who visited antenatal clinics in Hong Kong. This was a territory-wide, cross-sectional study of 3,245 pregnant women recruited from seven hospitals in Hong Kong. Participants were invited to complete the Chinese Abuse Assessment Screen and a demographic questionnaire. About 9% of the pregnant women reported having been abused by their partners in the preceding year. In-law conflict was the characteristic most significantly associated with preceding-year abuse against pregnant women, after controlling for covariates. Findings underscore the need to obtain information on in-law conflict as a risk factor for IPV. In-law conflict should be included in the assessment of risk for IPV. For the prevention of IPV, family-based intervention is needed to work with victims as well as in-laws.

Understanding violence against Chinese women in Hong Kong: an analysis of risk factors with a special emphasis on the role of in-law conflict

This study examines risk factors of intimate partner violence against women in a cohort of Chinese women drawn from a large representative sample in Hong Kong. Data from a cross-section of 1,870 women are analyzed. Prevalence rates of women's self-reports of violence by their intimate partners and conflict with in-laws are computed and compared in terms of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. The results show that in-law conflict was the characteristic most significantly associated with women's reports of violent victimization. This suggests that in-law conflict should be included in the screening and assessment of risk for intimate partner violence.

Personality characteristics of Chinese male batterers: an exploratory study of women's reports from a refuge sample of battered women in Hong Kong

This study examined the personality characteristics of Chinese male batterers in a cohort of 210 Chinese battered women drawn from a refuge in Hong Kong. Participants were interviewed using a standard questionnaire to examine the prevalence and incidence of violence they experienced. The incidence of battering in the preceding year was compared against the characteristics of male batterers using independent t tests. Logistic regression was preformed with the personality characteristics and battering. The results showed that a number of personality characteristics, in particular poor anger management and approval of the use of violence, were more frequent among batterers who were physically assaultive toward their partners. The findings of this study suggested the possibility of an association between child abuse and battering. The results have important implications for interventions with batterers in terms of the assessment and provision of batterer intervention programs.

The Elevated Risk for Violence Against Cohabiting Women

This study examined cohabiting women's elevated risk for male partner violence. It was predicted that an increased rate of cohabitation would be accompanied by a reduction in the bias toward selection into cohabitation and that this would result in greater similarity between characteristics of cohabiting and marital relationships as well as in their respective rates of violence. The results were generally consistent with this prediction. Cohabitation increased in Canada between 1993 and 2004, which appeared to have been reflected in some reduction in differences in selection and relationship variables as well as in lower rates of violence for cohabiting relative to married women. Nevertheless, persons who cohabited remained a select group and several relationship differences persisted. These selection and relationship differences accounted for the persistence of cohabiting women's elevated odds of violence in each survey. Results suggested that rates of violence in cohabiting and marital unions should eventually converge.

The high risk of IPV against Canadian women with disabilities

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence suggests that women with disabilities have a particularly high risk of experiencing violence by an intimate partner. This study examined the elevated risk for male-female intimate partner violence (IPV) against women with disabilities compared to women without disabilities across three large-scale Canadian surveys. An explanatory framework was tested that organized risk markers based on whether they referred to the context of the relationship between the couple (relationship factors), the victim (victim-related characteristics), or the perpetrator (perpetrator-related characteristics).

MATERIAL/METHODS

The data employed in this study were from three surveys collected by Statistics Canada: the 1993 Violence Against Women Survey, and the 1999 and 2004 iterations of the General Social Survey. Descriptive analyses consisted of cross-tabulations with Chi-square tests of significance. Logistic regression was used to calculate zero-order odds ratios and to perform multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A pattern was found in which women with disabilities reported a significantly higher prevalence of violence than those without disabilities. The perpetrator-related characteristics were the only variables that reduced the elevated odds of violence against women with disabilities. Partners of women with disabilities were more likely to engage in patriarchal domination as well as possessive and jealous behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The apparent importance of perpetrator-related characteristics (e.g., jealousy) suggests that future research should include a focus on what it is about the context of disability that makes these men more likely to engage in behaviors that are associated with IPV perpetration. Population-based efforts, professionals working with women who are victims, and professionals working with male perpetrators need to pay attention to the role of disability in IPV.

The impact of psychological abuse by an intimate partner on the mental health of pregnant women

Objective

The objective of this first population-based study in Hong Kong was to assess the impact of psychological abuse by an intimate partner on the mental health of pregnant women.

Design

Survey.

Setting

Antenatal clinics in seven public hospitals in Hong Kong.

Population

Three thousand two hundred and forty-five pregnant women.

Methods

The Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS) and demographic questionnaires were administered face-to-face at 32–36 weeks of gestation. At 1 week postpartum, the AAS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and SF-12 Health Survey were administered by telephone.

Main outcome measures

Intimate partner violence, postnatal depression and health-related quality of life.

Results

Two hundred and ninety six (9.1%) of the participants reported abuse by an intimate partner in the past year. Of those abused, 216 (73%) reported psychological abuse only and 80 (27%) reported physical and/or sexual abuse. Forty six (57.5%) in the physical and/or sexual abuse group also reported psychological abuse. Women in the psychological abuse only group had a higher risk of postnatal depression compared with nonabused women (adjusted OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.12–3.02). They were also at a higher risk of thinking about harming themselves (adjusted OR: 3.50, 95% CI: 1.49–8.20) and had significantly poorer mental health-related quality of life (P < 0.001). The higher risks of postnatal depression and thinking of harming themselves were not observed in the physical and/or sexual abuse group although significantly poorer mental health-related quality of life (P < 0.001) was observed.

Conclusions

Psychological abuse by an intimate partner against pregnant women has a negative impact on their mental health postdelivery. Furthermore, psychological abuse in the absence of physical and/or sexual abuse can have a detrimental effect on the mental health of abused women. The findings underscore the importance of screening pregnant women for abuse by an intimate partner and the need for developing, implementing and evaluating interventions to address psychological abuse.

Please cite this paper as: Tiwari A, Chan K, Fong D, Leung W, Brownridge D, Lam H, Wong B, Lam C, Chau F, Chan A, Cheung K, Ho P. The impact of psychological abuse by an intimate partner on the mental health of pregnant women. BJOG 2008;115:377–384.

The elevated risk for non-lethal post-separation violence in Canada: a comparison of separated, divorced, and married women

The purpose of the study was to shed light on the potentially differing dynamics of violence against separated and divorced women by their ex-husbands and violence against married women by their current husbands. Using a nationally representative sample of 7,369 heterosexual women from Cycle 13 of Statistics Canada's General Social Survey, available risk markers were examined in the context of a nested ecological framework. Separated women reported nine times the prevalence of violence and divorced women reported about four times the prevalence of violence compared with married women. The strongest predictors of violence against married women, namely, patriarchal domination, sexual jealousy, and possessiveness, were not significant predictors of violence against separated and divorced women. This suggested that post-separation violence is a complex phenomenon the dynamics of which can be affected by much more than domination and ownership.

Maternal and paternal depressive symptoms and child maladjustment: the mediating role of parental behavior

This study examined parental behaviors as mediators in links between depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers and child adjustment problems. Participants were 4,184 parents and 6,048 10- to 15-year-olds enrolled in the 1998 and 2000 cycles of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Mothers and fathers self-reported symptoms of depression at Times 1 and 2 and their children assessed parental nurturance, rejection, and monitoring and self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and prosocial behavior at Time 2. Hierarchical linear modeling showed evidence of mediation involving all three domains of parental behavior. Findings supported the hypothesis that the quality of the child's rearing environment is one mechanism that carries risk to children of depressed parents. Interventions for parents whose symptoms of depression interfere with parenting responsibilities could help reduce the risk of some childhood disorders.

Maternal and Paternal Depressive Symptoms and Child Maladjustment: The Mediating Role of Parental Behavior

This study examined parental behaviors as mediators in links between depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers and child adjustment problems. Participants were 4,184 parents and 6,048 10- to 15-year-olds enrolled in the 1998 and 2000 cycles of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Mothers and fathers self-reported symptoms of depression at Times 1 and 2 and their children assessed parental nurturance, rejection, and monitoring and self-reported internalizing and externalizing problems and prosocial behavior at Time 2. Hierarchical linear modeling showed evidence of mediation involving all three domains of parental behavior. Findings supported the hypothesis that the quality of the child's rearing environment is one mechanism that carries risk to children of depressed parents. Interventions for parents whose symptoms of depression interfere with parenting responsibilities could help reduce the risk of some childhood disorders.

Partner violence against women with disabilities: prevalence, risk, and explanations

Using a representative sample of 7,027 Canadian women living in a marital or common-law union, this investigation examined the risk for partner violence against women with disabilities relative to women without disabilities. Women with disabilities had 40% greater odds of violence in the 5 years preceding the interview, and these women appeared to be at particular risk for severe violence. An explanatory framework was tested that organized variables based on relationship factors, victim-related characteristics, and perpetrator-related characteristics. Results showed that perpetrator-related characteristics alone accounted for the elevated risk of partner violence against women with disabilities. Stakeholders must recognize the problem of partner violence against women with disabilities, and efforts to address patriarchal domination and male sexual proprietariness appear crucial to reducing their risk of partner violence.

Physical punishment, childhood abuse and psychiatric disorders

OBJECTIVES

Physical punishment, as a means of disciplining children, may be considered a mild form of childhood adversity. Although many outcomes of physical punishment have been investigated, little attention has been given to the impact of physical punishment on later adult psychopathology. Also, it has been stated that physical punishment by a loving parent is not associated with negative outcomes; however, this theory has not been empirically tested with regard to psychiatric disorders. The main objective of the present study was to investigate three categories of increasing severity of childhood adversity (no physical punishment or abuse, physical punishment only, and child abuse) to examine whether the childhood experience of physical punishment alone was associated with adult psychopathology, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental bonding dimensions.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the nationally representative National Comorbidity Survey (NCS, n=5,877; age 15-54 years; response rate 82.4%). Binary logistic and multinomial logistic regression models were used to determine the odds of experiencing psychiatric disorders.

RESULTS

Physical punishment was associated with increased odds of major depression (AOR=1.22; 95% CI=1.01-1.48), alcohol abuse/dependence (AOR=1.32; 95% CI=1.08-1.61), and externalizing problems (AOR=1.30; 95% CI=1.05-1.60) in adulthood after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and parental bonding dimensions. Individuals experiencing physical punishment only were at increased odds of adult psychopathology compared to those experiencing no physical punishment/abuse and at decreased odds when compared to those who were abused.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical punishment is a mild form of childhood adversity that shows an association with adult psychopathology.

Male partner violence against women in stepfamilies: an analysis of risk and explanations in the Canadian milieu

Using a representative sample of 2,703 Canadian women living in either a stepfamily or a biological family, this investigation assesses the extent of women's elevated risk for violence in stepfamilies relative to biological families as well as explanations for this relationship. Canadian women living in stepfamilies are shown to be twice as likely as their counterparts in biological families to experience violence. Differences between the two groups are greatest on some of the most severe forms of violence, suggesting that women in stepfamilies are at particular risk for severe violence. Institutional incompleteness (number of children; depression; alcohol consumption), duration of relationship, evolutionary psychology (sexual possessiveness; sexual jealousy; female employment; education compatibility) and selection factors (previous marriage/common-law union; previous partner violence; marital status) are applied and tested. Results show partial support for each explanation and that no explanation alone accounts for the disproportionate risk of violence in stepfamilies. Rather, a combination of elements from all explanations is required to account for the higher odds of violence against women in stepfamilies.

Double jeopardy?: Violence against immigrant women in Canada

Using a theoretical synthesis based in Nested Ecological Theory, the study fills a gap in the extant literature through an investigation of the prevalence and causes of violence against immigrant women in Canada. Based on a representative sample of 7,115 women, the results show that immigrant women from developing countries have the highest prevalence of violence. The analyses demonstrate that several variables operate differently in the production of violence against immigrant women from developed and developing nations. However, the key difference in explaining the higher prevalence of violence among those from developing countries is the sexually proprietary behavior exhibited by their partners. The results further show that sexual jealousy interacts with high female education and low male education levels in the prediction of violence among immigrant women from developing countries. Implications for future research are identified.